INTRODUCTION

People often ask - why aren't there more women physicists? There
are two easy answers to this question. One is that institutions of higher
learning and scientific laboratories and institutes denied women access in
past centuries. For example Agnes Pockels,
whose picture is at right, was denied a university education because she
was female. Nevertheless she made original and important contributions to
physics. But she was exceptional. In general there were very few women
who could do physics before the 20th century. When women breached
barrier
to higher education, however, they became major players in astronomy,
mathematics, and physics. Many of these women are unknown even though their
contributions are well known. From the beginning of the 20th
century, women
have made original and important scientific discoveries often working unpaid
and more often under-acknowledged. So the second answer to the question
posed above is a repost - namely, there are more female physicists than
most people know about!

Return to the homepage where you will find links to
83 webpages for
20th century women who have made original and important
contribution
to physics. You can also find the names of nearly
300 women whose accomplishments have been brought to our attention. Owing
to limitations of time and funding,
webpages for only 83 women could be constructed. The webpages are researched,
archived and documented data seting forth some of the major scientific
achievements. Contemporary women whose contribution
are post 1976 are not included.